Hi,
a Flight Controller by the tradename 'Rabbit' is being sold at ebay (by an individual going by the name 'vocanlo') and at Goodluckbuy. This product is being sold bundled with onboard firmware (in binary form only) which contains stolen code from the GPL MultiWii project. In this forum is a thread dedicated to this product titled Flight Controller for Quadcopter Multicopter with Fixed Hight Direction Care Free CF here http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1564594.

I am one of the many developers of the original MultiWii project and as such am entitled to pursue the violation of the GPL. The vendors have been contacted and requested to honour the GPL by

giving credit to the MultiWii roots of the software

providing access to the software changes they have made

Maybe important to note: no monetary claims were made.

Both parties (ebay seller and goodluckbuy) have failed to comply to this rightful request. This is bad for you under at least two aspects:

1. why rabbit policy is bad from a user's perspective

if you own a 'rabbit', you are dependent on some unknown developers for updating the software. If for whatever reason they stop support, you are left with a product which is effective dead.

even if you are lucky enough to catch a working software version from the vendors, you will always have to use outdated software . With the speed of current development in Multi Rotors, you do not want this. In contrast, MultiWii is a very active project.

other Flight Controllers have no way to participate in the efforts the unknown developers have put into their work (whatever that was).

2. why rabbit policy is bad from a developer's perspective

entire code of the MultiWii project is published under the GPL. This is a deliberate decision of the developers and gives users and developers certain rights. It does not mean to give up all rights. What rabbit has done is a clear violation of the rights of all MultiWii developers.

the development of MultiWii can not participate in the possible efforts and gains of the rabbit developers. They have chosen to turn this into a one way street for knowledge.

What is the bottom line?
At the moment we developers have decided to not open a legal case against this gang of vendors and unknown developers. Instead I ask you to

'Do not buy Rabbit Flight Controller'. Choose an honorable alternative instead; there are many to choose from.

Thanks, Hamburger
--------------------------------------------Mar. 11,2012 Update: to spare interested parties the burden of sifting through boring comments full of ignorance and insults, I have included here my personal summary of the last days

interesting times we live in.

Few days ago I brought to your attention that the producers of the Rabbit product use code they have stolen from the MultiWii project and I did explain some of the negative implications this has for you as a Rabbit customer, the MultiWii project and the general progress with FLight Controllers in this hobby.

A load of responses have been posted and recently the niveau has gone to ground zero. So this may be a good point to sum it all up.

It could have been easy. Ethics and morale put aside, you could have acknowledged the facts I presented, thought about the implications this had for you & your hobby and thought about how the situation could be turned into a joint activity to better your situation as Rabbit customers. (no idea what you could do? Like joining forces and contacting the producers and retailers. Why not demand lower prices, because developers do only copy and paste mostly)

For a review it is easiest to split the responses into 3 groups

A - supporters
yes, some of you understand the issue of theft of intellectual property, the bad effects it has and implications for their hobby and its progress. You made some excellent statements and this hobby is better for you being here. You know who you are and I thank you.

B - the silent majority (?)
you did not (want to) get involved and comment on the matter for your own reasons. I will not start to speculate on your reasons. I feel nothing for you and I have nothing to say to you.

C - the bad and the ugly
you spent a lot of effort on

bashing me for disturbing the 'clean' hobby world.
Try harder, the Rabbit thefts had brought the bad into your hobby long before. Best to learn the difference between bearer of bad news and the bad news.

expressing complete ignorance on the concepts of open source and open source under a licence (GPL or other)

displaying a broad range of misinterpretation of what GPL implies ( usually in combination with a mixup wrt. monetary limitations and implications)

We are not fellow hobbyists, we merely are by chance in the same hobby, if at all. I have no sympathy for you.
--------------------------------------------May 22, 2012 Update: we have a second confirmed verification of the code copy theft by the grabbit rabbit through an independent source. The author of the review on fpvcentral.net verified the GPS code in rabbit to be of origin MultiWii.
Post with link to review here http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=1081

Last edited by hamburger; May 22, 2012 at 06:57 AM.
Reason: second update

if you own a 'rabbit', you are dependent on some unknown developers for updating the software. If for whatever reason they stop support, you are left with a product which is effective dead.

even if you are lucky enough to catch a working software version from the vendors, you will always have to use outdated software . With the speed of current development in Multi Rotors, you do not want this. In contrast, MultiWii is a very active project.

other Flight Controllers have no way to participate in the efforts the unknown developers have put into their work (whatever that was).

Here are my answers as a very happy user of this board. In no way Iīm involved with the rabbitīs team or I know anybody that has participated in itīs development, clear?

1 As a freeman I choose who I trust in. Itīs my right not anybodies decision.

3 Is it a crime to be Unknown?Donīt you think maybe you are unknown to the rabbit team?

Stolen or not you should appreciate a good work, it should be good as yourself are porting multiwii to this same "STOLEN" board.

Mr Hamburger,,,,please keep the bad things of our lives outside of this beautyfull hobby. I think we all probably have too many problems in our worlds and would like RCG to keep being what it is, a nice quiet and interesting forum. Not a BATTLEFIELD.

I'm with you hamburger, thank you to you and Alex for literally getting multicopters off the ground. I have to say some of the members here have missed the point and most of the comments pro rabbit thus far have been so irrational that it's comical.